(VOVWORLD) - Vietnam has reported no new COVID-19 cases for 42 days. The National Steering Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control said Wednesday that there are 13,800 people in quarantine and 1,025 COVID-19 patients have recovered. Vietnam’s success in containing the coronavirus has impressed observers around the world.
 Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc chairs a government meeting on COVID-19 prevention and control. |
Like other countries Vietnam has faced a difficult challenge in containing the coronavirus. The Prime Minister’s firm direction of epidemic prevention and control efforts has been upheld by all sectors and ministries without losing sight of economic development goals and stability in each locality.
The Vietnamese government has quickly and efficiently carried out public health measures, including school closures, international flight suspensions, 14-day compulsory quarantines for everyone entering Vietnam from abroad, and monitoring of anyone known to have had contact with a COVID-19 patient.
The Spanish news agency EFE said that, with limited resources, Vietnam to preempted the pandemic using mass quarantine and contact tracing. EFE quoted Park Kidong, a World Health Organization official in Hanoi, as saying that social distancing, early activation of a response system, and a whole-of-society approach under strong leadership are the reasons for Vietnam's success so far.
 A photo exhibition on the fight against COVID-19 in Vietnam. |
The New York Times and US News & World Report ran articles on Vietnam suspending visa exemptions and closing schools, cinemas, night clubs, bars, massage businesses, karaoke Clubs, and computer gaming lounges.
Asia Times posted an article by David Hutt saying that the Communist Party of Vietnam has won praise inside and outside Vietnam for its prompt, effective, and transparent moves to contain COVID-19.
Professor Carl Thayer said on the Asia Times website that Vietnamese leaders responded in a decisive manner to the pandemic. Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc set up a committee to take charge of the pandemic response. A national communication campaign was launched to tell people what they should do to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.
Bloomberg cited Vietnam’s strict quarantining of Vietnamese citizens returning from abroad. The Vietnam People’s Army arranged military facilities to quarantine up to 60,000 people.
The Financial Times called Vietnam’s response to the pandemic “impressive”. Vietnam’s containment of the coronavirus was made possible by active involvement by the army and the national health, oversight, and communications systems. Vietnamese media disseminated COVID-19 information, government reports, and public health guidance. The Financial Times mentioned a survey by Nielsen Vietnam which said most people in Vietnam are knowledgeable about COVID-19. Government measures to fight the pandemic received nationwide support, reflected in social network messages boosting the morale of health workers and insisting that “Staying at home is patriotic.”
Vietnam has used simple but effective measures to control the spread of the coronavirus and so far has been successful. International media are calling Vietnam a role model for other countries.